Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

द्वादश्यां कृष्णपक्षस्य शुक्ले च समुपोषितः । गन्धमाल्यैर्जगन्नाथं पूजयेत्पाण्डुनन्दन

Transliteration

dvādaśyāṃ kṛṣṇapakṣasya śukle ca samupoṣitaḥ | gandhamālyairjagannāthaṃ pūjayetpāṇḍunandana

Translation

ഹേ പാണ്ഡുനന്ദന, കൃഷ്ണപക്ഷത്തിലും ശുക്ലപക്ഷത്തിലും ദ്വാദശി തിഥിയിൽ ഉപവാസം അനുഷ്ഠിച്ച്, ഗന്ധവും മാല്യവും കൊണ്ട് ജഗന്നാഥനെ പൂജിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• द्वादश्याम्: on the twelfth (lunar day)
• द्वादश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• कृष्णपक्षस्य: of the dark fortnight
• कृष्णपक्षस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (कृष्णः पक्षः)

• शुक्ले: in the bright (fortnight)
• शुक्ले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; (शुक्लपक्षे इति अर्थः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/coordination conjunction)

• समुपोषितः: having duly fasted
• समुपोषितः: Karta (Agent as qualified subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उप-उष् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); उपवासं कृतवान् (having fasted)

• गन्धमाल्यैः: with perfumes and garlands
• गन्धमाल्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध + माल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (गन्धैः च माल्यैः च)

• जगन्नाथम्: Jagannātha (Lord of the world)
• जगन्नाथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जगतः नाथः)

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Injunctive action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• पाण्डुनन्दन: O son of Pāṇḍu
• पाण्डुनन्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डु + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पाण्डोः नन्दनः)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (with Jagannātha worship)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍunandana (son of Pāṇḍu)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Dvādaśī observance at the river shrine: the devotee fasting, seated with a small pūjā tray of sandal paste and flower garlands, offering to Jagannātha before a sanctum near the ghāṭa.

Characters & Entities

• Pāṇḍunandana (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Jagannātha (epithet: Lord of the universe)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Discipline (upavāsa) joined with devotional worship (pūjā) is presented as the proper way to honor the tīrtha’s presiding Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to the Liṅgeśvara tīrtha context in Revākhaṇḍa Adhyāya 149, though the verse itself emphasizes the vrata.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Fast on Dvādaśī in both kṛṣṇa- and śukla-pakṣa, and worship Jagannātha with fragrances and garlands.